title: Female preponderance in diuretic-associated hypokalemia: a retrospective study in seven long-term care facilities.
abstract: A retrospective review of the medical records of 161 geriatric nursing-home patients receiving diuretics alone or in combination with potassium supplements or potassium sparing-diuretics revealed a 13.7 per cent overall prevalence of hypokalemia. The prevalence of hypokalemia in patients receiving diuretics alone, diuretics with potassium supplements, and potassium-sparing diuretics with kaliuretic diuretics were similar. However, there was a significantly higher prevalence of hypokalemia in women (16.4 per cent) compared with men (3.0 per cent), P less than 0.05. In patients taking non-chloride salts of potassium, there was a significantly higher prevalence of hypokalemia than in those taking the chloride salt (3.6 per cent vs. 8 per cent, P less than 0.025). Seven per cent of patients taking diuretics with potassium supplements and 11.5 per cent of patients taking potassium-sparing diuretics had hyperkalemia. Thus, although many elderly women taking diuretics may have hypokalemia routine potassium supplementation for all non-digitalized geriatric patients receiving diuretics does not seem to be indicated.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004232:Diuretics / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004338:Drug Combinations / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014223:Triamterene / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D004232:Diuretics; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide; C020743:hydrochlorothiazide-triamterene; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D011188:Potassium; D014223:Triamterene